Tannins are polyphenolic compounds of complex structures formed by secondary metabolism in several plants. These polyphenolic compounds have different applications, such as drugs, anti-corrosion agents, flocculants, and tanning agents. This study analyses six different type of polyphenolic extracts by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with multivariate analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible neurobehavioural effects in rats of the proanthocyanidin-rich fraction (PRF) isolated from the bark of Croton celtidifolius (Euphorbiaceae). METHODS: Adult Wistar rats were treated with the PRF (0.3-30 mg/kg) and evaluated in different behavioural paradigms classically used for the screening of drugs with psychoactive effects.

In breast cancer, in situ estrogen production has been demonstrated to play a major role in promoting tumor growth. Aromatase is the enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgen substrates into estrogens. This enzyme is highly expressed in breast cancer tissue compared with normal breast tissue. A wine extract fraction was recently isolated from red wine that exhibited a potent inhibitory action on aromatase activity.

PURPOSE: Cranberry proanthocyanidins have been identified as possible inhibitors of Escherichia coli adherence to uroepithelial cells. However, little is known about the dose range of this effect. Furthermore, it has not been studied directly in the urogenital system. To address these issues we tested the effect of a cranberry powder and proanthocyanidin extract on adherence of a P-fimbriated uropathogenic E. coli isolate to 2 new urogenital model systems, namely primary cultured bladder epithelial cells and vaginal epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: E.

BACKGROUND: The onset of menopause marks a pivotal time in which the incidence of hypertension and of cardiovascular disease (CVD) begins to increase dramatically in women. Before menopause, the incidences of these diseases are significantly lower in women than in age-matched men. After menopause, the rates of these diseases in women eventually approximate those in men. The loss of endogenous estrogen at menopause has been traditionally believed to be the primary factor involved in these changes.

Many pharmaceutical drugs arc isolated from plants used in traditional medicines, and new plant-derived pharmaceutical drugs continue to be identified. Relevant to this review, different plant-derived agonists for gammadelta T cells are described that impart effector functions upon distinct subsets of these cells. Recently, plant tannins have been defined as one class of gammadelta T cell agonist and appear to preferentially activate the mucosal population. Mucosal gammadelta T cells function to modulate tissue immune responses and induce epithelium repair.

Oxidative stress enhances pathological processes contributing to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, and dietary antioxidants may counteract these deleterious processes. Because rapid methods to evaluate and compare food products for antioxidant benefits are needed, a new assay based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was developed for the identification and quantitative analysis of antioxidants in complex natural product samples such as food extracts.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Banisteriopsis caapi, a woody vine from the Amazonian basin, is popularly known as an ingredient of a sacred drink ayahuasca, widely used throughout the Amazon as a medicinal tea for healing and spiritual exploration. The usefulness of Banisteriopsis caapi has been established for alleviating symptoms of neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease.

Cranberry crude extracts, in various vehicles, have shown inhibitory effects on the formation of oral biofilms in vitro. The presence of proanthocyanidins (PAC) in cranberry extracts has been linked to biological activities against specific virulence attributes of Streptococcus mutans, e.g. the inhibition of glucosyltransferase (Gtf) activity. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of a highly purified and chemically defined cranberry PAC fraction on S.